How To: Rolling Dumbbell Extensions

Build Bigger Triceps

Want to grow your triceps to increase your lockout strength of the bench press or overhead press? Do lying tricep extensions cause you elbow or shoulder pain? Try this variation instead.

The rolling dumbbell extension works both the short head and long head of the triceps muscles, unlike skullcrushers or tricep rope pushdowns. This exercise, therefore, helps meet our three criteria for strength – use the most muscle mass over the longest effective range of motion with the most weight.

How To: Rolling Dumbbell Extensions

With an appropriate weight, pick up two dumbbells and lay back on a flat bench, like you’re about to perform a chest press. Make sure your shoulders are even with the end of the bench.

Turn your palms towards each other keeping your humerus’ perpendicular, bend at the elbow until the dumbbells touch the shoulders. Then, “roll back” the dumbbells, allowing the elbows to come back towards your ears and fire back up to the lockout. Think of the cadence as “elbows, shoulders, shoulders, elbows.”

Program rolling dumbbell extensions after your heavy press or heavy bench press in a program such as the four day split.

Learn more about how to choose assistance exercises for your strength training program.